Take To The Sky
by Teaspoon of Heartbreak
Summary: As children, Alfred and Matthew were orphans who were eventually taken in by an innkeeper named Francis. The three lived their lives in peace until a pirate named Arthur Kirkland showed up at the inn, telling them of the darkness that began to take over the land. Rated T for later violence.
1. Beginning

" _Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky."_ \- Rabindranath Tagore

* * *

"Almost there. If only I could reach -"

"Alfred, get down from there. Francis needs us at the Inn."

"But Matthew -"

"No buts. Get down!"

The tree above rustled wildly as a tall, young man with prominent blue eyes hopped out of the mass of leaves without a scratch. Taking a moment to pat the dust and tree bark off of himself, Alfred looked up, making eye contact with his slightly taller companion. The two seemed very similar in features, except for the taller boy having light violet eyes and a strange curl protruding from his from his honey blonde locks.

Alfred slipped Matthew a goofy smile, sweeping his hand through his hair sloppily, trying his best to smooth it. A single, stubborn cowlick stood out from the rest, unwilling to stay in proper order. Matthew broke the eye contact, crossing his arms in annoyance at his brother's cheekiness. "Come on, we need to leave now. Francis does not like it when we are late for work."

Alfred merely shrugged against his brother's protests, lifting his hand to gingerly push up his glasses that began to slide down the bridge of his nose. His brother worried too much; Francis wasn't as bad as he let on.

"If you are so worried about Francis, why don't you go ahead. Let me take the fall. I'll be there momentarily." Alfred reassured as he placed his hand on his brother's shoulder, giving him a firm pat.

Giving up his hardened composure, Matthew let a smile slip onto his lips, nodding at Alfred. "If you don't show up, I'm going to kick your ass."

Light laughter filled the air as Alfred started cracking up at his brother's sudden assertion. "Don't worry, Bro." Alfred began, pushing his brother away then raising his pinky. "I'll show up. Pinky promise."

The taller brother let out a short sigh before bringing his pinky to wrap around the one presented. When they let go, Matthew turned on his heel, walking towards the town with his hands in his pockets.

Alfred watched his brother walk away with baited breath. When he was completely out of view, the boy took to climbing the tree once more, trying to scramble up the hard bark as fast as he could. Even though it wasn't his first priority, Alfred would always carry out a pinky promise.

It wasn't long until he was finally at the last few branches of the tree, eyes shut tightly, nose pointed towards the sky. This is where he wanted to be. As close to the sky as possible.

Alfred let the few minutes he had pass by, the sharp, winter wind bringing him back to reality. Slipping back onto the stable ground below, the boy zipped up the jacket that was draped around his body and promptly shoved his hands into his pockets. Winter was coming and it wasn't going to be short like last year.

The sky overhead became dark with compact clouds that seemed to want to burst any second, covering the cold land in a dreary haze. Alfred didn't let this get to him as he set his sights on town, strolling as slowly as he could, taking in the sights of the place he learned to love.

As he neared the town, the light that was touching the land was nearly obliterated by the dark offset of clouds. Rain would soon fall upon the land, covering the earth in a cold wetness that would freeze as night fell.

People, who were set up in the middle of the streets for their Sunday market, began to take down their booths but all raised their hands to Alfred, acknowledging his existence as he strolled through. A pack of children ran past the tall blonde, but they all looked up and smiled at him before running from an old woman that was trying to usher them inside.

It was a quiet, humble little town in which Alfred had known all his life. The town knew him quite well also. He had lived on their streets for as long as he could remember before Francis took both him and his brother into his loving arms. Alfred had stolen bread from the bakery before going back and apologizing with money that he found off the side of the street. He had helped a few old women with their washings when they needed him. Alfred made an impression on the people, both good and bad.

Once the blonde was close to the little inn owned by his caretaker, the sky began to break and little droplets of water fell, soon turning into larger beads of rain. Picking up the pace, Alfred ran into the inn, slamming the door shut behind him.

The inside of the inn was much like it had always been; fire-lit lamps sat on each table, flickering to and fro as they produced enough light to show off the entire room with added help from the fireplace on the south wall. A group of men gathered around the fireplace, mugs of wheat beer in their hands, laughing as they speak of merriment. Matthew was behind the old oak bar, using an old rag to shine the wood and clean it of spilled alcohol. When Alfred appeared, violet eyes shot up, staring holes through their twin's.

Matthew stopped what he was doing to point a finger at his brother, beckoning for him to move closer to the bar.. "You're late!"

"At least I didn't break my promise!" Alfred retorted, holding up his pinky and giving it a little wiggle before stepping closer.

The two shared a quiet chuckle before settling down. Matthew averted his gaze and returned to his work of scrubbing down the bar. "Francis isn't happy that you didn't show up on time. He says he has to speak with us. That's all he mentioned."

Instead of helping his brother at the bar, Alfred slide behind it and swiped away another rag. He was going to wipe down the table and try to look like he had been doing something for at least a short period of time, in case Francis made his appearance. "It's probably something lame like telling us how good we've been doing-"

"Matthew's been doing. You have been up in the clouds for the past couple of days. When are you going to come down?"

Alfred popped up from his position meeting face to face to his caretaker, Francis Bonnefoy. Francis seemed like a simple man; rather plain clothes of a innkeeper, long, blonde hair which was always kept in a tidy ribbon to keep it out of his face during work, and a low, accented voice that seemed to draw in the most interesting of people.

There was only one defining factor that caused Francis to stand out from the rest of the town; he owned a pair of wings. From his back sprouted magnificent wings, gleaming with various pigments of green, gold, and red. The humble innkeeper was of the race called Avian, commonly known as the sky people. Although it was rare to see in the quiet town, sky people roamed the skies, living in harmony with the people of the land. Francis had lived on the land ever since he was a child and that's where he planned to stay.

Alfred straightened his posture as his boss stepped out from his place in the shadows, glancing at the colorful wings that were obviously larger than their owner. Francis was eyeing the twins with a serious look, one they both knew well enough. It usually meant he was about to leave for a sudden business rendezvous. That, or he was leaving for another reason they'd rather not touch upon.

"As you two know, or at least Matthew knows, our stock has been running low as of late." Francis began to say, his attention then turning towards the bar where the taller twin had been working. "I am going to make a quick trip to the market place in the town next to ours. You two will be in charge for the next day or two. Please don't make a mess of it like last time."

Alfred shuddered at the thought of what happened the last time Francis had left them in charge. It wasn't exactly their fault that a boar had somehow entered and ruined pretty much everything. "I won't ever make a mistake like that again."

"Yeah! Don't worry, Francis. I won't let this goofball do anything stupid like usual." Matthew added with an a quiet chirp. Francis ran the inn really well, but it was oddly quieter with just the two of them, even if Alfred was doing something erratic.

After giving them a long, thoughtful stare, Francis finally let out a deep sigh and offered them a thankful smile. "I trust you two will do things right. I will be back in a couple of days, take care and keep out of trouble."

Matthew moved out from his position behind the bar to meet his brother beside Francis. The two boys wrapped their arms around the winged man, giving him the biggest bear hug they could muster. Francis returned the affection by trying to get his arms around the boys and letting out a gentle laugh.

"Matthew, make sure your brother behaves. I'll be back soon." The innkeeper chirped happily, patting the twins on the back his laugh echoing off the walls. Alfred's bottom lip poked out, forming a pout. He could be perfectly behaved, bad things just happen to him when Francis left.

With the final words being spoken, Alfred and Matthew let go of their caretaker and watched as he exited the inn with a smile on his face. It wasn't rare for his lips to be curved upwards, especially if he was interacting with his two employees.

Waving as he left, Matthew returned to his place behind the bar, wiping down the sleek wood to where it's previous stains were almost no more. Alfred, on the other hand, took to lounging on one of the chairs that sat by the tables he was supposed to be cleaning.

"You know," Matthew began, gaining his brother's attention as he spoke. "Even though Francis isn't here, it still means you have to work."

Alfred let out a long, drawn out groan at his brother's protest, provoking the taller brother to fling the wet rag at him, hitting him in the jaw. "Hey!" Picking the dirty rag off of himself, Alfred stood up abruptly, taking a playful yet defensive pose. "You want a piece of me?"

The scene caused a burst of laughter to fill the room, not only from Matthew but from the men that were still currently occupying the space near the fireplace. Alfred blushed sheepishly, lowering his arms to wipe down the table as he had been told.

It wasn't long until the group had left and the inn became unbearably quiet. Matthew slumped over the bar, a book in his hand while Alfred laid in one of the comfy armchairs near the fire, watching as it flickered back and forth.

Suddenly, the sound of the door flinging open and feathers rustling caused the twins to jump to their feet. Feathers rustling usually meant one thing; Francis had returned from his trip prematurely due to some unseeable event occurring. It happened sometimes but usually longer than merely the hour that had passed by.

Instead of the gentle blue eyes of their caretaker, the boys were met with a pair of hardened emerald orbs. Behind this newcomer were men of all sizes; big and brawny to bony and frail. Each and everyone of them seemed angry or ready to attack if someone ordered.

The newcomer, a man who stood only a small length below Alfred, sauntered up the bar where Matthew stood, the stamps of his boots echoing off the hard walls. Alfred's stare hardened as the unknown man approached his brother, not yet knowing his intentions. Working in an inn let the boys meet many people, many of which were just passing by, but no one who looked like this.

The men were dressed from head to toe in light clothing, some with bandanas wrapped around their heads and straps around their waists holding swords. Alfred remembered stories of people who dressed in such a way, but never thought that they would be inland enough for him to ever interact with them. These men were pirates and they were being lead by a man with wings.

"Is there vacancy for the night?" The man with the emerald eyes finally spoke, asking Matthew a fairly simple question.

Alfred could see the nervousness that began to creep into his brother as he came to the same realization. "Um- yes! I believe we have enough room-" Matthew began to stammer out, glancing at Alfred, who had begun to step closer to his brother in case he needed to fly in and be the hero. "If you don't mind- how many of you plan on staying and for how long? I-I also require a name for your tab if you plan on making one."

The man simply glimpsed backwards as if making sure none of his men had left his presence before looking back at Matthew. "There are only seven of us and we don't expect to be staying any longer than a few days. Go ahead and make the tab. My men tend to have a tongue for a nice rum."

"Okay- Seven Men." Matthew scribbled the information down on the pad which also had the information of other guests that were to be staying there. "There are three rooms available for your to use- the last three on the second floor. Wait sir!"

After hearing of which rooms they would be staying at, all seven men advanced towards the stairs, only to be stopped by the shaky voice owned by Matthew. "You forgot to tell me your name."

"My name is Arthur. Arthur Kirkland. Also, if Francis Bonnefoy is here, please tell him that I request his presence. I have a few words for him."

* * *

 **A/N** : I finally managed to write something else. I have been planning this one out for at least a year or so but something motivated me to finally finish it. I don't know when I'm going to update it, but I do have plans for the next chapter which I will probably start writing soon. I also need to begin writing the second chapter to Alphabet City B. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this. It's gonna get a lot more interesting once I start updating it. Also, just for the disclaimer, I do not own hetalia. This is purely a fan based AU. ^^ Thanks for reading - Spoon


	2. Fire Red

_"People who fight fire with fire usually end up with ashes."_ -Abigail Van Buren

* * *

There was a sudden hush that overcame the twins as they exchanged panicked looks. How did someone like Arthur, a fierce-looking pirate, know someone like Francis? After a few more seconds of lingering silence, Alfred had come up to the side of Matthew, facing the pirates with a hardened gaze.

"Why would Francis want to talk to someone like you?" Alfred asked pointedly, staring the pirate down with fiery eyes. For as long as he knew the hotel owner, Alfred didn't think that Francis would run into the likes of pirates. Well, at least not often and definitely not for long periods of time.

Instead of acting rashly, the pirate kept Alfred's gaze, challenging it with a powerful glare that would usually turn a person away. A few more seconds passed until Arthur broke away from their staring game, a disheartening grin spread across his cheeks as he opened his mouth to speak.

"He's held a lot of information back from you two then. Probably for the better. Wouldn't want two impressionable children to think badly of their caregiver." Arthur's voice was condescending as his hand lazily gestured to the twins.

Puffing out his cheeks like a child who just heard something he didn't like, Alfred crossed his arms whilst lowering his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

Arthur shuffled around in his position, his expression darkening as if he'd rather stay off of the topic himself. "I don't think I have the authority to tell children-" He stopped suddenly, trailing off of his train of thought before leaning down on his elbows with a grin. "You know what? I might as well. You want to know how I know your dear Francis? He used to be exactly like-"

The pirate was yet again cut short of his words as the sound of the door scraping open then slamming close shook the quiet atmosphere. Due to the presence of the pirates, neither of the twins noticed that large beads of rain began pounding against the window. Without glancing towards the door, everyone presumed that the newcomer was simply a strangler that didn't want to be trapped in the rain.

That wasn't the case at all. Standing in the doorway was Francis completely disheveled and soaked to the bone. Both of the twins let out shocked gasps, yet only Matthew ran towards Francis to help his caretaker. Alfred held his ground, calming his shocked expression when he looked upon Arthur.

The once bored pirate seemingly began to bounce as he laid eyes on the weakened avian. Alfred swore he saw his wings perk up a little, but he pushed it off as a trick of the eye. "Oh Francis. How I've longed to see you. Do you know how long it's been? At least sixteen years, hmm?"

Noting how Arthur's entire persona changed from Francis's sudden appearance, Alfred stepped from behind the desk as soon as Arthur made a step towards Francis. Matthew was on Francis's side, one hand under his armpit with the other propped up on his stomach. If anything happened, Alfred was ready to spring out and attack the pirate if so needed.

As soon as Francis was made known of Arthur's presence, his demeanor darkened dramatically, scaring the poor boy he was using as a crutch. "Let go of me Matthew." He practically barked, pushing the hands away from his body.

The taller twin slunk back when commanded, watching as Francis used the wall to keep himself standing. With some difficulty, the innkeep faced Arthur, anger plastered across his usually easygoing features. Every so slowly, he crept across the wall, almost as if he were circling the pirate. "What are you doing here Arthur?"

While he was watching the pirate, Alfred noticed that Arthur's hand started hovering over the hilt of his sword. Matthew noticed this as well and they exchanged worried looks. The two began scooting closer together until they were shoulder to shoulder, ready to defend themselves if need be.

"I came to see you. Why else would I be here, Francis?" With a flick of Arthur's hand, the seven members of his gang disappeared upstairs, leaving their captain along with the innkeeper and the two employees.

"I want you to leave and take your ruffians with you-"

"You know that isn't going to happen."

"Arthur, I'm not going to argue."

"I'm not here to argue either. None of us are leaving until I take your life with my blade." Arthur's voice dripped with poison as he unsheathed his cutlass. After examining the sword by holding it up to the light, Arthur lowered his blade, pointing it directly at the innkeeper. "Have any last words?"

Both twins gasped in surprised at the escalation. Neither of them expected the pirate to be here to kill their caretaker. Francis, on the other hand, kept a straight face, quickening his pace as he moved along the wall.

"You haven't changed at all after these last sixteen years. You're still a short, vulgar man with a lust for violence." Francis's response was biting, but there seemed to be a grin forming on his lips. The twins noticed how he ceased to move, waiting for Arthur to move towards him. Alfred tried to lurch forward and attack Arthur from behind, but Matthew kept a firm grip on his brother to make sure he didn't get hurt.

"Francis can handle this. We'll jump in if we need to." Matthew's comment was merely a whisper almost instantly disappearing into thin air. The shorter of the two grunted in compliance, holding a defensive pose in front of his brother just in case.

Making his way forward, Arthur kept his blade in front of him, ready for anything that Francis might pull in order to save his own life. Once he was a few feet away, Francis pulled a sword off of it's mount on the wall, unsheathing it in time to block a blow from the shorter man.

"I'm not going down without a fight, Arthur."

"Just as I thought. You're going to make it difficult for me."

Keeping his distance now from Francis's threatening saber, the pirate's grin faltered into an air of irritation. Quickly swapping his sword from his right to his more dominate hand, Arthur fixed his footing, placing all of his balance in his toes. "En garde."

To the twin's surprise, Francis struck first, aiming for Arthur's delicate wings which were folded neatly against his back. The pirate dodged the blow gracefully, taking a step back to allow the two to have more room for a proper duel. With his blade still in front of him, Arthur jabbed at Francis's outstretched blade, only to be blocked. The sound of metal on metal rang throughout the building. Both men continued their taps, jabs, and slices, weaving in between the chairs and tables that blocked their path. Their speed seemed to pick up as the sounds of their grunts intermingled with the shrill noise of the meeting of their swords. To put it lightly, Francis and Arthur seemed to be locked in a dance.

Watching from the shadows, Matthew and Alfred began creeping towards the bar, keeping their eyes closely on the two men. They had made a silent pact that if anything happened to Francis, the two would jump in and attack Arthur. Now safely behind the bar, both peered over the edge as Arthur began to yell.

"Oh how I've longed for this day! I get to fall the great Francis Bonnefoy."

Arthur was standing on one of the table tops, his wings outstretched as if to make himself look bigger. Francis, on the other hand, was yet against leaning against the wall; his chest was heaving up and down as he tried to catch a breath.

"It seems like only yesterday, doesn't it? You almost killed me for wanting to be just like you."

The blonde pirate continued yelling from his place on the tabletop, now holding his blade out in front of him. Francis had his head turned around from Arthur, awaiting whatever Arthur had in mind for him. Alfred hopped to his feet in order to help his caretaker, but Matthew stopped him in his tracks, willing him back down behind the counter. They'd help in a moment, but for now, they needed to listen.

"I looked up to you- praised you! You had fame and glory. You were one of the deadliest pirates of them all."

Gasping suddenly, Matthew was met by Alfred's hand covering his mouth, his brother's other hand moving in for a bottle from the counter. He made yet another move to climb over the counter, this time not being stopped by his brother's fearful whim.

"I don't know why you gave it up for this dingy little place. Oh well. You won't ever see it again once you're dead."

Arthur jumped off of the table with a _thud_ , his boots clicking against the ground as he approached the weakened Francis. The innkeeper kept his eyes to the ground, letting go of his sword in defeat. "Fine. You've finally won."

As Arthur let out a low, menacing laugh, Alfred managed to creep up behind him without being noticed. As soon as the pirate raised his sword for the finishing blow, the shorter brother had swung the bottle of rum in the air, smashing it against the other's head. Watching Arthur fall like a rag doll, Alfred examined the bottle with a disappointed frown. He was sure that it was going to shatter. That's what usually happened in the plays right?

"Francis? Are you okay?" Matthew ran around the bar to see about the older man that had started to slump against a chair. Although he fared pretty well in the fight, he wasn't without a couple of cuts and bruises. Francis opened his mouth to speak, but the only thing to come out was a quiet gurgle before his eyes rolled into his head and he fainted; his now unconscious body fell hard against the floor.

Matthew and Alfred exchanged worried looks as they both pulled Francis into a sitting position, hoping that he would return to consciousness. The taller of the two took to examining the cuts that Francis now had, taking in consideration what kind of treatment he needed.

"Can you get me some bandages and clean water Alfred?"

Knowing that he wouldn't be any help watching his brother, Alfred did as Matthew said, tiptoeing to the hallway behind the stairs. In the back of the hallway was a little closet where Francis kept all of the emergency medical supplies. Being an innkeeper meant that there were people who were going to come in wounded and it was better safe than sorry.

After rummaging around the closet, Alfred pulled out long strips of cloth like bandages. Suddenly, he turned his face towards the window, his nose wrinkling in disgust. There was a putrid smell lingering in the air. It reminded him of the one time he forgot to vent the fireplace and filled the inn with smoke. No one could breath for a few hours while they were airing the place out so he knew the scent well. There was something else though, something even fouler. What was it? Sulfur?

Pushing away the thought, Alfred pivoted away from the window, returning to the main hall. Matthew was still standing over Francis, doctoring his wounds the best he could without bandages. Grabbing a bucket of water from the beside the bar, Alfred made his way back towards his brother.

"I'll be right back. Our water supply is dwindling so I might as well go get it from the well."

This was only a partial lie. Sure, the water supply was low, but not enough to need to get any from the well. Alfred's real intentions were to figure out why there was smoke in the air. Opening the door as quietly as he could, Alfred slipped out, bucket in hand. The rain had stopped, but the sky was still dark with the clouds that covered the sky. The smoky smell was stronger now that he was outside, but he couldn't pinpoint it in the dark. It was probably just a little grass fire outside of town caused by lightning.

Deciding that he probably should stick to his task, Alfred pushed through the grimy muck that formed with the rain. Thankfully, the well was close enough that he didn't have to exert all of his energy by pressing through mud. Now that he had a better view of the sky, dark birds were circling over the center of the town in a rather ominous way. The sight alone made chills run up his back.

"Just put water in the bucket and get back. Come on Alfred. Don't be a chicken." He whispered to himself as he lowered the bucket into the water.

As soon as he started turning the crank back up, there was a loud explosion in the direction of the inn. Forgetting the bucket, Alfred ran as fast as his legs and the mud would allow him. When he got back, half of the inn was in flames.

"No. No no no."

Charging into the door, breaking it down, Alfred observed the area in a panic, searching for his brother and Francis in the wreckage. Thankfully, they hadn't moved from their spot and there wasn't as much damage.

"Alfred-"

"Matthew get Francis; we have to leave right now."

Alfred came to the side of his brother, helping him to his feet. Putting one of Francis's arms around his shoulder, hoping that Matthew was going to get the other arm, he started for the door. Surprisingly, Matthew didn't come to his aid. Instead, the taller boy heaved the fallen pirate into his arms, carrying him out of harm's way.

In an angry rage, Alfred raised his voice as soon as they got outside of the inn. "Why the hell did you get him? He almost killed Francis."

Matthew frowned at his brother's sudden fury, adjusting his arms underneath the pirate wings and waist. "You just wanted me to leave him to die?"

"No, but-"

"For having a hero complex, you can be a dick."

Alfred pouted as his brother took the lead, hauling Arthur to the forest where fire wasn't spreading. With a quiet grumble, Alfred altered Francis's position in his arms to where it was more comfortable for both of them. He pursued after his brother who was already waiting at the edge of the forest. Once there, both boys looked back on the inn that was now completely engulfed in flames. Tears began to form in Matthew's eyes as the roof started caving in, embers flying into the air.

Trying his best to stay strong for his brother, Alfred lead the way into the forest and away from the sight of destruction. The closest town was at least a day's worth of travel by foot so they would have to stay in the forest until dawn broke. Hopefully, Francis would be away by then; carrying him was beginning to be a pain.

After at least an hour of walking through the dense underbrush, Alfred stopped moving forward, Matthew following in suit.

"There's a cave up here. We can stay there for the night until we can make plans to go to the next village." He announced, making his way up a muggy slope to a relatively dry cave.

The cave, in a sense, was more of a rock hanging over a little expanse of dry cover, perfect for a quick night's stay. Both of the boys set the wounded men down, leaning them against the wall. They would have to find something to tie around Arthur's wrists so he doesn't do anything stupid when he wakes up.

Matthew left Alfred to watch the two - a.k.a. find a way to truss up the pirate - so he could gather a few dry sticks to make a fire. After living on the streets for most of their childhood, both were training in the basics of surviving. Fire building was easy if they had the right supplies.

Along the walls of the cave, there were thick vines that were sturdy yet malleable enough to use as ropes. They probably weren't the most comfortable, but Alfred did not care that much at the moment.

As soon as Matthew arrived, Arthur's wrists had been properly bound so that he couldn't escape unless he managed to stand. Alfred would probably tie his legs together once he had awoken, but he decided off of that for now.

Matthew worked at building the fire in silence, keeping his attention on kindling the flame that he created. Alfred sat back on the other side of the cave, willing himself to stay awake to keep watch. Once the fire was made, Matthew took to sitting a few feet away from his brother.

"Go to sleep, Matthew." Alfred finally spoke up, tilting his head towards his brother. "I'll keep watch for a little while."

Matthew wanted to speak against his brother, but decided that he was too tired and would have to thank his brother later for offering to watch.

As soon as Matthew was settled, Alfred found a pointy stick, using it to quell his boredom by drawing in the sandy dirt. It was going to be a long night to be alone, but at least they were safe for now.

* * *

A/N: I finally updated it. I don't know why, but my motivation to write just seems to wilt after a while. I did finishing this in about a week though, so I'm going to try and get chapter three in the process of writing soon. As I said in the last chapter, I have no idea when I'm going to update Alphabet City B. It was an old project I just went with. I'll try though. Also, just for the disclaimer, I do not own Hetalia. This is purely a fan-based AU. Thanks for reading! - Teaspoon


	3. The Brink of Midnight w Update

"With the new day comes new strengths and new thoughts." - Eleanor Roosevelt

* * *

About an hour after the others drifted off, Alfred's own eyes started to droop as exhaustion began to hit. A pan of sadness hit as he remembered the events from earlier. Everything had to have been wiped out which meant no more smiling at the bakers in the morning or playing tag with the children of the town. No more sleeping in his own bed at the inn or listening to his brother yell at him because he forgot to clean a table. The man let a soft sigh slip through as he leaned his head back on the hard walls of the cave. Alfred couldn't take much more of this mourning, especially as time passed and the silence grew.

It must have been a rather clear night, even after the devastating fire, because silver streams of moonlight flooding through the entrance of the cave. Although he was strictly on watch duty, the whisper of the wind beckoned for the younger twin to emerge from the cave. If a bear came in, it would probably be scared off by how many people were in the cave… right?

'A bit of fresh air wouldn't hurt anyone' Alfred thought to himself as he picked himself off the ground and stretched his aching limbs. While tiptoeing to the front of the cave, Alfred had to step over Arthur's sleeping body, but his conscious told him otherwise. They'd probably just haul him off to jail later as soon as they reached the next town.

Outside of the cave was rather breathtaking. A full moon lit the entire forest, allowing moonlight to scatter through the leaves and onto the forest floor. From the ground looking up, the trees looked like they went on forever, stretching up to the sky with their branches wide open. If Alfred hadn't had a duty to do, he probably would have just stayed in the forest and never came out. Other than needing attention by other humans, Alfred could totally be a hermit.

Stepping out into the grass, the man shoved his hands into the pockets of his soot stained pants. Maybe he could find a little stream to clean his stuff in. The smell of smoke wasn't a pleasant memory to be carrying around at the moment. Despite the need to wash, Alfred wouldn't know where to find a stream in the first place. He guessed that if he heard the babble of the brook then he would be going in the right direction, but the forest was eerily quiet. There weren't any birds singing their happy tune, or cute little bunnies running around the bushes. There was only the wind and the sound of his footsteps crunching in the leaves. Chills ran up his back as he realized he was completely alone.

Braving the silence, Alfred continued walking straight down a little path, keeping his eyes up to the sky to make sure he could still see even a little bit of the moon. He didn't want to be lost in the dense undergrowth without any direction of getting back to his brother.

Whilst stepping through the dried leaves, Alfred decided to fill the silence with a little tune as he pursed his lips together and started to whistle. It was a tune he didn't know the name to nor the origins, yet he could whistle it perfectly without flaw. Even such a simple melody lifted his spirits a bit. Things would be okay. Francis's wounds would heal, Arthur would be off to jail, and everything would go back to normal for the twins.

Crunching through the dead leaves, Alfred whistled his happy tune. His cheerful attitude was slowly returning.

The only problem was the darkness. An unfathomable darkness that left your mind grasping for some light. Every little movement in the shadows looks like something different. Branches creaked as the wind blew them against each other.

Goosebumps layered Alfred's skin as he lowered the volume of his whistling to almost a mute blow, sort of like how you would cool off a cup of tea. Maybe he should start to head back. The night was too eerie for the young man. No matter how much he said that he was brave, the fear would continue to creep up his spine.

As he tiptoed through the woods, trying his best not to step too hard on the leaves, Alfred began to hear a crunching noise behind him. It couldn't have been him and it didn't sound like his footsteps. Too offbeat.

What could it be then? A wolf? A bear? What if it was another human with an axe the size of a bear with bear teeth and wild eyes like a wolf and a bloodthirsty hunger like a wolf and-

Alfred stopped in his tracks as the crunching noise grew louder. However, as soon as he stopped, the noise disappeared. Something was definitely following him now. It wasn't just his imagination.

As he started walking again, Alfred felt as if eyes were staring at him. The only problem with irrational fears meant that he couldn't look behind him to see what it was. His pace quickened with every step he took as he was now desperate to get back to the cave with his family...and that asshole named Arthur. But wait! What if this some weird hybrid bear-human-wolf creature. He would be leading it right back to the cave. Alfred could be leading his family to potential danger.

Fuck it.

Alfred ran as fast as he could towards the direction of what he thought was the cave. Instead, he had managed to break out of the tree line and stopped right at the edge of a rather steep cliff.

* * *

Now that's what I call a Cliff Hanger! Que bad rim tap here.

 **Update**

So it's been a super long time, hasn't it. Has anyone missed me? Eh? Probably not. Anyways, I just wanted to give a little update to whats going on with this story. First off, I'm not sure if anyone noticed, but this was really hecking short. Sorry about that. Here is the deal. I have had a lot of stuff going on (school, summer college, rotary exchange, etc.) and I haven't had much time or motivation to write much of anything. I also lost my love of roleplaying which sucks because I really, really loved that. I'm thinking that my main reason is that I am spending way too much time worrying of this story. While I do have it planned out, it is so stinking hard to write. I'm finding plot holes that I have to fill while writing it. This has caused me to rewrite this singular chapter over and over and over again that it almost makes me sick just looking at it. That's why it is so, so short. Which I hate.

So there. I'm taking a bit of a break from this story in particular, but that doesn't me A.) I am giving up on it or B.) I'm not going to write. I plan on sticking with the story, but I'm going to need some time to let it chill. Also, I am currently writing another story (which I hope doesn't end up stripping away my motivation like my last two..but I didn't say that ; ) ) which I have been meaning to write for so long. I should have the first chapter done by the end of the week (tomorrow if I don't sleep) so keep a look out for it.

For any more info, please feel free to shoot me a message. I am not all that active on FanFiction, but I've been meaning to pop in and say this for a bit.

Anyways, please enjoy whatever this chapter is. It's kinda short and choppy, but oh well!

~Spoon


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